Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Orders Strict Safety Management Ahead of 4th Anniversary of Itaewon Tragedy and Halloween

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has ordered thorough preparations to prevent safety accidents caused by large crowds ahead of the 4th anniversary of the October 29 Itaewon tragedy and Halloween.

During a executive meeting held this morning (October 23), Mayor Oh received a report on Halloween crowd safety management and emphasized, "With various large and small events and heavy crowds expected, we must prioritize citizen safety above all else and prepare thoroughly, from preliminary preparations to on-site management."

In particular, he ordered pre-inspections of facilities and pedestrian environments in areas expected to draw large crowds, such as Hongdae, Itaewon, Seongsu-dong, and Ikseon-dong, and called for preemptive measures to prevent accidents if crowd congestion is anticipated.

He also urged officials to maintain a close cooperative system with relevant agencies, including the police, fire department, autonomous districts, and medical institutions, to swiftly respond to crowd congestion and ensure the safety of citizens.

Additionally, Mayor Oh plans to attend the "Citizens' Memorial Service for the 4th Anniversary of the October 29 Itaewon Tragedy," to be held tomorrow at Seoul Plaza, to pay tribute to the victims and comfort the bereaved families.

The city has designated the ten-day period starting today as the "Special Halloween Countermeasures Period," strengthening safety management in 14 areas across 10 autonomous districts where high crowd density is expected, including Itaewon, Hongdae, and Seongsu.

Congestion situations will be monitored in real time using 361 artificial intelligence (AI) crowd detection closed-circuit televisions (CCTV), Seoul's real-time city data, and drones.

A total of 3,271 safety management personnel will be deployed to manage pedestrian flow and inspect potential hazard factors in advance.

In the event of a dangerous situation due to crowd congestion, the city plans to implement measures such as controlling subway station exits, passing trains without stopping, and sending emergency disaster text messages.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.